By arranging compact cabbages in spiral clusters around a thick stalk in an effort to realize maximum nutritional values with minimal land use, the Stapleton Brussels sprout has quickly become the profit-driven urban planner's dream vegetable...

As illustrated on the Denver Neighborhood Seed Company packet shown above, the leafy buds sprout -- like the homes of the neighborhood -- in a spiral around the control tower of the old Stapleton International Airport. Stapleton Brussels sprout was developed by urban planners as a cultivar of the same species that includes Country Club cabbage, Hale kale, and Berkeley broccoli.

The "Control Tower" is a flavor-rich hybrid that produces extra-large, bright green two-inch round "Northfield Nuggets." Introduced to Denver in 2001 by Forest City Enterprises, Stapleton Brussels sprout is a good choice for new urbanist farmers who seek high nutritional yields from small gardens.